1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and system for enabling customers at respective customer locations to operate data terminals for placing orders for goods or services. More specifically, this invention relates to such a method and system in which the customers obtain from their data terminals product information that augments or supersedes the product information that is available from a catalog.
2. Description of Related Art
A method and system for enabling a large number of consumers to place orders for goods and services with a data terminal is disclosed in Schlafly U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,858. In response to visually displayed prompts, the user of the data terminal selects the nature of the goods or services desired. The user chooses the supplier and the particular item, using a product code that is selected either from the supplier's catalog or from special instructions made available for that purpose. The particular data related to the selected item, together with an individual personal authorization code are entered in the terminal keyboard. The user may then review each stored segment of data to confirm or make changes or completely abort the data entry. All of the data related to the user's order, if it is to be executed, is stored in a send memory by a key command. Additional entries of orders can be made and placed in the send memory until it is filled. When the user is ready, the orders placed in the terminal are transmitted after automatic dialing by the terminal through an internal modem to a local or central processing center over a telephone communication link. In one embodiment, merchandise is ordered from a supplier catalog using a particular code for that supplier catalog, page number, and product identification numbers together with quantity and product option codes in the order and manner as these appear on the catalog page. In another embodiment, product identifying bar codes are printed in a catalog alongside the displayed products. When a customer desires a product, a scanning motion with an activated bar code reader causes the entry of data identifying the catalog, the product and such other data deemed desirable for processing an order.